Foldable basket



R. R. BRAUN FOLDABLE BASKET Feb. 28, 1967 Filed May 20, 1965 INVENIOR.

FEM/01D Emu/y ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,306,329 FOLDABLE BASKET Reinhold Ray Braun, 1727 Summit Ave., Seattle, Wash. 98101 Filed May 20, 1965, Ser. No. 457,257 12 Claims. (Cl. 150-50) This invention relates to a collapsible basket, one that when not set up for use folds flat and can be stored in a small space, but which can be unfolded and its parts held readily in their positions of use.

One object of this invention is to provide a basket of the type indicated wherein the parts are few in number, and all are part of an integral whole, that is to say no parts are separable or removable from the basket nor from each other and therefore capable of being lost,

either in use or when collapsed.

Also it is an object to provide such a basket the parts whereof are readily set up and readily retained or locked in set-up condition, and as readily released and folded.

A further object is to provide a foldable basket the sides whereof are wholly of flexible material with its top outlined by a marginal frame of wire or the like, and having preferably a stiff or board-like bottom, together with strut means in the nature of a bail or bails for stretching the sides and holding the marginal frame spaced above the bottom, in use, this bail or these bails when in use preferably but not necessarily, extending above the marginal frame and serving as handles for carrying the basket.

It is also an object to form a collapsible basket that is inexpensive, and amply rugged for various uses.

Other objects will appear as this specification progresses.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is embodied in a form such as is presently preferred by me, but various changes in form are obviously within the scope of this invention.

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view partly broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the basket, with the bails folded beneath the bottom element.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the set-up basket, and FIGURE 4 is a side elevation thereof.

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of the retaining and locking elements.

The baskets bottom is preferably, although not necessarily, a stiff board-like element, generally designated by the numeral 1, which would normally include a stifi? margin 10, although again such a stilf margin is not essential. It is shown as rectangular in shape, although in this respect it may vary. A flat panel 11 may rest upon the margin and upon transverse or longitudinal elements 12.

Its sides-and this term is meant to include its ends as well-are formed wholly of flexible material, such for example as a plastic sheet, or canvas, shown at 2. These are shown as extending continuously about the basket, although there may he breaks in their continuity. The sides 2 are secured at their lower edges to the margin 10 of the bottom. A stiff marginal frame 21, of wire or the like, is secured about the upper edges of the sides 2. Unless the marginal frame 21 is held spaced above the bottom 1 the flexible sides will collapse onto the bottom.

To hold the marginal frame 21 spaced above the bottom I employ strut means, such as one or two bails 3, of stiff wire or the like. These are mounted for pivoting upon the bottom 1, and preferably are located exteriorly of two opposite sides, although they might be located interiorly thereof For example, the longitudinal elements 12 may be extended slightly at their ends beyond the sides 2, and the bails pivot thereon at 30. Each bail is of a length to extend at least as high as the sides, and preferably extends thereabove in position of use. A slotted element of the set-up basket,

ice

31 is carried by each bail, its slot 32 being at the level of the marginal frame 21. A loop 22 is carried by the marginal frame 21, the wire of which frame 21 is formed may be looped inwardly or outwardly, depending on whether the bail or bails swing outwardly or inwardly into position of use, and is located to enter the slot 32 when the bail is swung upwardly. This or a similar engagement of the loop 22 with the slotted element 31 may suflice to retain the bail upraised and the sides stretched upwardly, but preferably a locking element is engaged within the loop 22 to secure parts in their positions of use. For example, a latch 4 may be pivoted at 40 upon the slotted element 22, or elsewhere upon the bail, in position to swing into the loop 22 after the latter has been passed through the slot 32; see FIGURE 5.

The bail or bails, if they extend above the marginal frame 21, may be formed as handles 33 whereby to carry the basket.

When the bails are folded against or beneath the bottom, as they are in FIGURE 2, the flexible sides can collapse onto or about the bottom, and the basket can be stored in very small space. To set it up for use the bails swing upwardly about their pivots at 30, the sides are stretched upwardly merely by raising the marginal frame 21 by hand, and the loops 22 are passed through the slots 32. The latches 4 swing downwardly through the loops 22, and the basket is then fully set up for use. The collapsing of the basket is equally simple. It has no separate part that might become lost, and it has few and simply made parts. It is readily carried by the handle or handles 33 Such a basket will find many uses. An apartment dweller may, for instance, use it to carry washing. By supplying a strap joining the two handles or by forming a stiff handle projecting from a single bail, it can be supported by one hand and used in shopping. It can be made in various sizes, depths, and shapes.

I claim as my invention:

1. A collapsible basket comprising a bottom element, an upper marginal frame, sides of flexible material joining said marginal frame and the margins of the bottom, bails of stiff material pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the bottom and in use directed upwardly to the marginal frame, and means interengageable between said bails and the marginal frame to hold the marginal frame and the bails upraised, but disengageable to allow the sides to collapse and the bails to fold inwardly onto the bottom element.

2. A collapsible basket as in claim 1, wherein the bottom element is a stiff board-like element.

3. A collapsible basket as in claim 1, wherein the bails are in use located outside the flexible sides.

4. A collapsible basket as in claim 1, wherein the bails include a slotted element that in use is located at the level of the marginal frame, and a retainer carried by the marginal frame and entered within the slot of said bailcarried element.

5. A collapsible basket as in claim 4, wherein the retainer is apertured, and a locking element carried by the bail and guided for movement into the aperture of the retainer to hold parts in their positions of use.

6. A collapsible basket as in claim 5, wherein the locking element is pivotally mounted upon the respective bails.

7. A collapsible basket as in claim 1, wherein each bail extends in use upwardly above the level of the marginal frame, to constitute a carrying handle.

8. A collapsible basket comprising a stiff, board-like bottom, an upper marginal frame, sides of flexible material joining said marginal frame and the margins of said bottom, bails of stifl material pivotally mounted outside opposite sides of the bottom and in use directed upwardly outside the flexible sides to a level above the marginal frame, and each including an element slotted at the level of the marginal frame, said marginal frame including loops bent outwardly to enter the slots in the bail-carried elements, and locking elements pivotally carried upon said bail-carried elements, and engageable within the loops of the marginal frame to hold the basket in its set-up condition.

9. A collapsible basket comprising a bottom element defining a generally stiff margin, an upper marginal frame, sides of flexible material joining the bottom margin and said upper marginal frame, at least two bails of stiff material which in use extend upwardly from the bottom margin to the upper marginal frame to hold them apart, and located at opposite sides of the basket, and means to secure said ba'ils releasably in their position of use.

10. A collapsible basket comprising a bottom element, an upper marginal frame, sides of flexible material joining said marginal frame and the margins of the bottom, at least one strut of stiff material pivotally mounted along a margin of the bottom, and in use directed upwardly to 4 the marginal frame, and'means interengageable between said strut and the marginal frame to support the latter, and the strut, in upraise-d position, but disengageable to allow the sides to collapse and the strut to fold onto the bottom element.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the strut is pivotally mounted upon the bottom to swing, from collapsed position to. its position of use, externally of the baskets sides.

12. The combination of claim 10, including means to lock the strut and the marginal frame in their interengaged position of use.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.v 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE BASKET COMPRISING A BOTTOM ELEMENT, AN UPPER MARGINAL FRAME, SIDES OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL JOINING SAID MARGINAL FRAME AND THE MARGINS OF THE BOTTOM, BAILS OF STIFF MATERIAL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BOTTOM AND IN USE DIRECTED UPWARDLY TO THE MARGINAL FRAME, AND MEANS INTERENGAGEABLE BETWEEN SAID BAILS AND THE MARGINAL FRAME TO HOLD THE MARGINAL FRAME AND THE BAILS UPRAISED, BUT DISENGAGEABLE TO ALLOW THE SIDES TO COLLAPSE AND THE BAILS TO FOLD INWARDLY ONTO THE BOTTOM ELEMENT. 